The present invention relates to disposable diapers which are light and compact and easy to carry around even when bunched up in a package and which are excellent in leakproofness.
The present invention also relates to absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, which are light and yet has a moderate thickness to secure an easy feeling while in use.
1. Background Art
Improvements have been added to the structure and materials of disposable diapers to provide compact packages convenient to carry.
However, packages containing several disposable diapers now on the market are still fairly heavy, some exceeding 3 kg, and carrying a package has been a considerable burden.
It is a conceivable solution for lightening a package of disposable diapers to decrease the number of disposable diapers per package, but such reduces distribution efficiency, incurring an increase of unit price and increasing the frequency of consumer purchases.
Mere cutting down the absorbent material to reduce the weight of individual disposable diapers would result in frequent leaks, making the diapers useless.
If absorbent articles such as disposable diapers are made thinner to make the package more compact, the absorbent article feels flimsy and makes a user feel a fear of leakage. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 212072/93 discloses a technique in which an ultrathin functional absorbent member is used while securing some thickness by a combined use of a bulk layer. According to this technique, it is possible to provide an absorbent article which comprises an ultrathin absorbent member and yet gives easy feelings, but the package is not at all compact.
2. Disclosure of the Invention
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a disposable diaper which is light and compact and convenient to carry even when a plurality of the disposable diapers are packaged together and also which is excellent in leakproofness.
A secondary object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article which is reduced in thickness and made more compact in a packaged state and restores its thickness on being taken out of the package for use thereby to make a user feel at ease while in use and which has cushioning to provide a good fit to a wearer on putting on.
The primary object of the present invention is accomplished by providing a disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the two sheets, wherein the disposable diaper has a product basis weight of 50 to 220 g/m2, and a portion of the disposable diaper where the absorbent member is disposed has a part having a rate of body fluid absorption of 3.0 g/sec or more and a part having a saturated body fluid absorption of 75 g/100 cm2 or more (hereinafter referred to as a first invention).
The primary object of the invention is also accomplished by providing a disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the two sheets, wherein the disposable diaper has a crotch portion, and the crotch portion has a product basis weight of 100 to 450 g/m2, a rate of body fluid absorption of 3.0 g/sec or more, and a saturated body fluid absorption of 60 g/100 cm2 or more (hereinafter referred to as a second invention).
The primary object of the invention is also accomplished by providing a disposable diaper comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the two sheets, wherein the absorbent member contains a superabsorbent polymer A having a rate of absorption of 8 g/30 sec/0.3 g or more measured by the DW method and a superabsorbent polymer B having a rate of absorption of 5 g/30 sec/0.3 g or less measured by the DW method at a polymer A/polymer B weight ratio of 90/10 to 10/90 and has a fluff pulp content of 0 to 30% by weight (hereinafter referred to as a third invention).
The secondary object of the present invention is accomplished by providing an absorbent article comprising a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and a liquid retentive absorbent member interposed between the two sheets, wherein the absorbent member has a fluff pulp content of 0 to 30% by weight, and the thickness of the absorbent article under a load of 180 gf/cm2 and the thickness of the absorbent article after unloading are such that the latter thickness is 1.3 times or greater the former thickness (hereinafter referred to as a forth invention).